When using an MP3 player, the recommendation is to keep the volume at one half the scale, or less. Specifically, on an I-Pod device, I counsel my patients and family members to keep the volume no more than half... continue reading  about  I use ear buds with my MP3 player and wondered what volume of sound is safe. Can loud music cause hearing loss?

There are many brands of hearing aids and some are clearly more advanced than others. Without seeing your hearing test and taking a thorough history of your listening needs, it is hard to say what would work th... continue reading  about  I have moderate hearing loss in both ears. I've been fitted with behind the ear hearing aids at three centers with no real improvement in discerning speech (ambient noise comes through loud and clear). Which are best to help me hear normal conversations?

Hearing loss is often the main culprit with concerns about communication difficulties. Communication is the ability to hear, listen and respond to others appropriately. In order to hear, the auditory system (ou... continue reading  about  It's hard for me to follow a conversation when two or more people talk at once. I'm a 48-year-old woman who has had no hearing problems in the past. Should I be concerned?

It is true that diabetes can cause hearing loss in cases that are more severe. Not everyone will get hearing loss with diabetes, and it is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle and follow your physician's r... continue reading  about  I have diabetes and I read recently that people with this disease have a higher risk of hearing problems. Why would this be, and is there anything I can do to prevent it?

I read several studies that seem to link increased risk of hearing loss to use of NSAIDS (ibuprofen is an NSAID). It is important to understand that there is an increase RISK of hearing loss in both women and m... continue reading  about  I take ibuprofen daily for back problems, but I read recently that sometimes it can cause hearing loss. Is this true, and how much would you need to take to cause this to happen?

I would suggest you return to the office that you purchased the hearing aids from and have adjustments made. If two hearing aids are warranted, then it may be a matter of turning them both down for comfort. It ... continue reading  about  I have two hearing aids, but find that sometimes when I use both, the sound is too intense, so I remove one. Are two hearing aids really necessary?

Meniere's disease or syndrome is named after a French physician who first described the disorder in 1861. It is not a disease in that it cannot spread to another person. It is a syndrome of three symptoms chara... continue reading  about  I have been diagnosed with Meniere's Disease. I have always had ringing in my left ear. Recently I have noted a thumping sound in my left ear. Is this another symptom of Meniere's Disease?

A couple of possible answers come to mind. First, there is a large source of blood flow in your head close to the bottom of your ear canal. The carotid artery is large and can sometimes produce a pounding or he... continue reading  about  What would cause a muffled thumping sound in my left ear (almost like hearing a heart beat)? This sound is not in the right ear, only the left. It doesn't happen all the time and there is no hearing loss.

Noises in the ear, whether it be thumping, ringing, buzzing, roaring or any other unusual sound not explained by outside sounds, are called tinnitus. Tinnitus can be constant, intermittent, high or low pitched,... continue reading  about  I have a thumping sound in my left ear. The sound is rapid and irregular, and not synced with my pulse. It started four days ago at night. Today for first time I noticed sounds like tapping gently on a speaker cone. It doesn't seem to affect hearing.